Teenage pregnancy in Tacloban down during pandemic

TEENAGE MOTHERS. INQUIRER FILE/MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

TACLOBAN CITY—The number of girls age 20 and below who gave birth in this city have decreased at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 compared to 2019, according to the Commission on Population and Development (PopCom).

Based on PopCom’s data, cases of teenage pregnancies in 2020 reached 350 compared to the 457 cases in 2019.

Cielito Esquibel, population officer in the city, said the strict COVID-19 restrictions played a big factor in the decrease of teenage pregnancies in Tacloban.“The pandemic somehow showed some positive effects as it resulted in a downtrend of teenage pregnancies in the city,” she said.

At the start of the pandemic, persons below 21 years old were prohibited from going out of their homes, as they are vulnerable to the coronavirus infection.

Lost opportunities

But since the government has allowed teenagers at least 15 years old from going out of their homes since the start of this month, Esquibel expressed worry that it might result in another surge in teenage pregnancy.“We are really concerned now that the quarantine protocols were relaxed as this allows teenagers to go out and meet their friends or boyfriends,” Esquibel said.

The city is under modified general community quarantine for the entire month of June, the government’s most relaxed quarantine classification. Esquibel appealed to parents to monitor their children to prevent early pregnancies.

“Getting pregnant at an early age would mean depriving them of a possible good future, especially since they are not yet ready to assume the responsibilities of being a teenage mother or parent,” she said.

PopCom estimated that P33 billion is lost due to teenage pregnancies every year since early childbearing reduces the earnings or wage rate profile of young mothers, particularly those who have not completed senior high school.

PopCom estimated that at age 20, a girl who began childbearing before age 18 may only earn only about P46 a day, compared to the P361 per day estimate for someone who completed senior high school and did not get pregnant early.

“Having a child in adolescence makes it more difficult for young people to achieve their educational, career and other life goals, and affects the future prospects of their children—at considerable cost to taxpayers,” PopCom said.

According to the agency, low levels of educational attainment among teen parents reduce employment opportunities and earnings later on in life.

“The state, in turn, loses out on purchasing power, collects fewer taxes and may experience reduced worker productivity,” it said. INQ